Lawyers representing the whistleblower behind the explosive complaint involving President Trump‘s efforts to persuade Ukraine’s president to investigate former Vice President Joe Biden and his son Hunter expressed concern for their client’s safety in a letter to lawmakers released Sunday.
In a letter to Senate Intelligence Committee Chairman Richard Burr (R-N.C.), House Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) and others, lawyers representing the whistleblower said they had “serious concerns for our client’s personal safety, as well as for others connected to this matter.” They called on lawmakers “to speak out in favor of whistleblower protection and reiterate that this is a protected system where retaliation is not permitted, whether direct or implied.”
The lawyers also attached correspondence with Acting Director of National Intelligence Joseph Maguire thanking him for his supportive words during his testimony and also expressing concerns for their client.
“60 Minutes,” which first obtained the letter, originally reported that the contents suggested the whistleblower was under federal protection. However, lawyer Mark S. Zaid in a statement to The Hill said the news outlet “completely misinterpreted the contents of our letter.”
The whistleblower’s complaint, which was released to the public on Thursday, is at the center of the House Democrat’s impeachment inquiry.
Trump and his allies have sought to discredit the complaint and the whistleblower behind it. – read more